Tag: Baijendra Kumar

An all women team was denied permission to meet Soni Sori in Raipur on the 12th and 13th of January 2012. Soni Sory is a tribal and a school teacher who has been hounded by the Chattisgarh police for a while now. She was arrested in October 2011 soon after she managed to tell her story to Tehelka.

Since then, there has been concern regarding her well being. Tehelka had credible information about brutality against her and later she was examined in hospital after she complained about sexual assault in police custody. She was tortured and foreign objects were inserted in her private parts in the presence of a senior police official in blatant disrespect of a direct High Court directive to the Chattisgarh cops to ensure her safety. Her examination in Kolkatta NRS Medical college recovered stones from inside her "private parts".

The group of women had applied for appropriate permissions and made repeated requests to meet her to ascertain her health. They had received an assurance from Principal Secretary, Mr. Baijendra Kumar in Delhi, in October. The state Human Rights Commission said that refusing access was not a human rights violation. They were still shuffled around without any conclusive permission or denial for two days and finally denied permission for security reasons. This was an all women's group willing to go through security procedures and meeting her in the presence of jail authorities.

Additionally, there has been no enquiry into her previous torture in spite of specific medical evidence.

Considering the history of sexual abuse and custodial torture against her by the police, there is every reason to believe that she may be in danger.

There are also concerns about the well being of other women prisoners.

The group demands immediate action against her torturers and their suspension pending inquiry. There should also be free access to visitors who wish to ascertain her safety.

I think that is a damn good idea and the very least that must be done. It is insane to return a victim of torture to those who tortured her and it is inexplicable as to why said victim is not allowed visitors when she is still an undertrial.

To me, this looks very suspiciously like they don't want anyone to know her condition.